Take a Hike!Internet Lesson PlanGrade level: 7-9

Teacher Activities

Goal:

To utilize Internet resources to learn about hiking, prepare for a hike, calculatehiking distances and review safety guidelines based on actual experiences ofAppalachian Trail hikers.

Objectives:

At the end of the unit, the participant will be able to:

• Read a chronicle of hikers' experiences on the Appalachian Trail.• Calculate what the hikers' daily distance should have been.• Brainstorm factors which may have affected the hikers' progress and

evaluate his/her reasons with the hikers' weekly logs.• Mark the Appalachian Trail, dates of the hikers' progress and elevation

notes on a map.• Track the Bartram Trail route through Georgia.• Predict how long it will take to cover the Bartram Trail based on materials

on the Web and mark the proposed distances on the map.• List items that are needed for a hiking trip and evaluate them against a

suggested list on the Web.• Plan purchases of needed hiking items keeping in mind price and weight.• Calculate total cost and weight of items.• Provide reasons why he/she chose a more expensive or a heavier item for

a hike.• Compare the U.S. view of wildfire control with other parts of the world.• List the ecosystem benefits of wildfires.• Name the natural factors which increase the chances of wildfire.• Evaluate the probability of wildfires along the Appalachian and Bartram

Trails.

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• Create a timeline for the Smokey Bear publicity campaign.• Design an activity or educational section to augment "Smokey Bear's

Official Home Page."• Explain how one contracts lyme disease and what its symptoms are.• Describe how poison ivy spreads and identify other members of this

poisonous family.• Describe parts of a compass.• Explain how a compass works.• Use a compass to create readings for a treasure hunt.

Duration:

Two weeks, one hour of on-line time each day.

Instructional strategy:

Divide the class into pairs or small groups of approximately 3-4 participantseach. Provide each group with a two-pocket folder. Distribute the activities in theleft pocket of each folder to encourage problem-solving strategies within thegroup.

Have students utilize the right-hand pocket of the folder to record their strategies,take notes, and track project completion. Students can store information theyhave gathered or printed from the Internet in this pocket as well.

Encourage both on-line and off-line research through reference and researchmaterial.

Prerequisite:

A short introduction to the Internet with information on access and addresses isrequired before participants go on-line. Ensure that students are familiar with theWorld Wide Web and the browser they will be using.

Assessment/Evaluation:

The activities in this unit will be evaluated on the basis of student participationand performance. Team folders will include information gathered in the processof completing the activities. Encourage cooperative learning, group process,problem-solving, competition, and the use of the Internet as these activities arecompleted. Serve as facilitator and guide throughout the activities.

Other related activities:

Activity #1: The Appalachian Trail.

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• List activities that you consider adventures. Which ones can you actuallyachieve? What makes an adventure?

• Explore the history of the Appalachian Trail at "GORP: Appalachian Trail -A Footpath in Nature" athttp://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/us_trail/appalach.htm.

• Compare the elevation information gathered in this activity to that shownon topographical maps at "National Geophysical Data Center: Science forSociety - Your State" at http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/ngdc/news/state.htm.

• Discuss the uses of topographical maps and how they differ from othermaps.

• Use materials such as sand and paper mache to create a topographicalmap of your state or create a map out of cake and frosting. Share yourmasterpiece with others.

• Teacher: Find activities for different grade levels at "USGS: UnderstandingMaps" at http://www.usgs.gov/education/learnweb/wwmaps.html. Activities include "Map adventures" (Grades K-3), "What do maps show?" (Grades5-8) and "Exploring maps" (Grades 7-12).

Activity #2: A southern rival

• Plot the complete Bartram Trail on a map using the following Webresources:- "Take a Hike on the Long Side" athttp://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/trails.htm- "Historic South Carolina Trail Routes" athttp://www.sctrails.net/historic.html- "Three Famous Trails" at http://www.insiders.com/ncmtns/sb-forests2.htm

• Check your charting of the trail with information on the Bartram Trailobtained from the North Bartram Trail Society listed on the Web page"GORP: Bartram Trail" athttp://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/us_trail/se_bartr.htm.

• Write a biography for William Bartram using the following resources:- "NCNatural's William Bartram Profile" at http://ncnatural.com/NCNatural/bartram/bartram1-txt.html- "@ugusta Chronicle: Bartram's Writings give Glimpse Into Past" athttp://augustachronicle.com/history/bartram.html

• Discuss why Bartram wanted to call the Appalachian Mountains theCherokee Mountains.

• Create a slogan, ad or commercial to publicize this trail.• Create a "Did you know" brochure on this area of the country. Make sure

to highlight unique and interesting facts.

Activity #3: What to take?

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• Discuss the wilderness ethics at "GORP: Wilderness Ethics" at http://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/US_Wilderness_Area/ WILDETHC.HTM. What unwritten rules should you as "a visitor in thewild" follow? Design a handbook outlining them.

• Visit an outdoor equipment store to see the type of equipment thatcampers and hikers need. Many places offer in-house lectures free to thepublic.

• Create a store specifically for backpackers. What kind of merchandisewould you offer?

• Design a catalog for hikers featuring equipment and other importantinformation.

Activity #4: Get it in gear

• Prepare a budget for hiking gear. How much money do you need in orderto buy the basic equipment?

• See if you can gather some of the camping/hiking gear together to pack abackpack and see exactly how heavy items are and how much room thereis.

• Try your hand at planning several meals for a trip. Use the "REI:Backpacking 102" Web page athttp://merc.rei.com/OLC/courses/bkpacking102/cbk102top.html.Remember the following factors when preparing your menu: weight/bulk,ease of preparation and cost. Make sure to cover all the food groups!

• Prepare a budget of food costs associated with a hiking adventure. • Teacher: Invite someone from a local sports store to speak on preparing

for a hiking trip.

Activity #5: Dangers in the woods - forest fires

• Be on the "hot seat" by participating in a fire control simulation at"Discovery Online Science: Wildfires!" athttp://www.discovery.com/area/science/wildfires/wildfires1.html.

• Discuss the controversial statement "Smokey is dead!" at "DiscoveryOnline Science: Wildfires!" athttp://www.discovery.com/area/science/wildfires/wildfires1.html. In youropinion, should forest fires be prescribed?

• Compare the United States' view of wildfire control with other parts of theworld.

• Using graphs compare the number of fires and their causes as well asprescribed burns per state using the Web page "Wildfire and PrescribedBurn Statistics" at http://fwspceaa.nifc.r9.fws.gov/~olson/stats.html.

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• Look at the "National Interagency Coordination Center: Fire IncidentManagement Situation Report" at http://www.nifc.gov/sitreprt.html to findthe current information about daily fires and resources used as well as thenumber of fires and acres burned year-to-date. What conclusions can youdraw from this information?

Activity #6: Fret about the little things

• Prepare an emergency kit. What would you put in it and why?• What other dangers lurk in the woods? Spiders, snakes and mosquitoes

are some of them that come to mind. List others.• Create a pamphlet for younger children about lyme disease or poison ivy.• Design a poster for the National Park System warning hikers of potential

dangers and what these may be. Remember that not all hikers willunderstand English.

• Teacher: Ask a local health care provider to speak on the subject of poisontreatment and prevention.

Activity #7: Finding your way!

• Compare and contrast orienteering and rogaining. Use the "Orienteeringand Rogaining Home Page" athttp://www2.aos.princeton.edu/rdslater/orienteering/.

• Discuss how the methods of navigation have changed since the time ofChristopher Columbus. Research information from the Web page"Columbus Navigation Home Page" at http://www1.minn.net/~keithp/.

• What other methods of navigation are there? Learn more about how touse the sun and stars to navigate.

• Create a timeline listing advances in navigation and the people behindthem. Be sure to include inventions as well as significant findings basedon navigation.

• Teacher: Review the "Orienteering for the Young" Web page athttp://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/james_baker/ for informationon how to familiarize children with orienteering.

Materials needed by the teacher:

• Two-pocket folders• Map of the eastern portion of the United States• Detailed map of Georgia• Spreadsheet software (optional)• Compass

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Teacher notes:

In "Activity #7: Finding your way," consider conducting a group activity forstudents to learn how to navigate with a compass as described in lessons on theWeb page "How to Use a Compass" at http://www.uio.no/~kjetikj/compass/.

As a culminating activity, have students assemble a newspaper for hikersincluding information that they have learned throughout this unit. Suggestedfeatures include news, health, latest gear, a hiking experience, specific hikingareas and famous hikers.

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Take a Hike!Student Activities

Activity #1: The Appalachian Trail

Feeling adventuresome? Several journalists certainly were in March, 1995, asthey planned to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, covering 2,162 miles andcrossing fourteen states! The entire trip is chronicled on the Web page "AnAppalachian Adventure" at http://www.nando.net/AT/ATmain2.html. Only 10% ofthe people who attempt the trip described on this Web page are successful.

• What were the starting and ending dates of the journalists' hike? Howmany days did the 2,162 mile journey take?

• What should have been the average daily mileage accomplished? Do youthink that this was always the case? Why or why not?

• What hardships and obstacles do you think that the hikers faced?• Scroll down to the bottom of the page to select "Map of the Appalachian

Trail" and "Elevation and regions." Track the route of the Appalachian Trailon a map. Make sure to mark the elevation high points. Chart the hikers'progress on your map noting the dates.

• Look again at the progress of the hikers as they made their journey. Didthe elevation differences affect the hikers' progress?

• For more detail about the Appalachian Trail through each state, visit theWeb site "The Appalachian Trail - State by State" athttp://www.fred.net/kathy/at/atstate.html. Read several of the weeklyentrees that the journalists made.

• Were you correct in your observations about what factors influenced theirhiking progress? Did you discover other factors and obstacles of whichyou had not thought?

Activity #2: A southern rival

Bartram National Recreation Trail is affectionately known as the "SouthernAppalachian's rival." Charted by William Bartram, known as America's firstnaturalist, it offers much the same scenic beauty as the Appalachian Trail but isnot as well-known.

Learn more about this trail at the following sites:

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• "GORP: Bartram Trail" athttp://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/us_trail/se_bartr.htm

• "Bartram Trail, A North Georgia Hiking Trail" at http://ngeorgia.com/trail/bartram.shtml

Then answer these questions:

• Through which states does the trail cross?• How long is the entire trail? What portion of it crosses through Georgia?• What is its degree of difficulty? Why do you think it is rated this way?• Track the route of the trail on a map of Georgia.

Now it's time to plan how long it will take you to make your journey! Otherfactors to consider besides the distance are topography, weather and type ofhiker you are. Examine the following resources to help you plan your trip:

• "National Geophysical Data Center: Science for Society - Your State" athttp://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/ngdc/news/state.htm lists topographicinformation.

• "The Weather Channel" at http://www.weather.com/ provides weatherforecasts.

• "REI: Basic Backpacking 101" athttp://merc.rei.com/OLC/courses/bkpacking101/cbk101top.html coversplanning a backpacking trip and route.

Then answer these questions about your trip:

• What type of weather would you encounter if you were to start hikingtomorrow?

• How long do you want to hike each day?• Mark on a map the distance you want to accomplish each day. • What type of terrain will you be encountering?• How experienced of a hiker are you?

Activity #3: What to take?

If you were to take a hike lasting over several days, what would you need to takein order to survive? Remember there are no electrical outlets or fast food placesalong the way!

• Brainstorm what you think you need to take for a several day trip out in thewilderness. Think of items in the following categories: - Storage - Safety - Food & drink - Clothing - Shelter - Basic supplies

• How long is your list? Are there some items which you think are notnecessary? Remember that you will have to carry this stuff!

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• See how well you did by visiting "REI: Hiking and Backpacking Checklists"at http://www.rei.com/OUT_THERE/LISTS/geartop.html as well as the"Basic Backpacking 101" section. How did you do? What did you forget?

• From the list of items you need, how much do you already have and whatdo you need to get?

Activity #4: Get it in gear!

You've got your list ... let's go window shopping with the help of the Web to seewhat exactly we need to buy, how much it will cost and more importantly, howheavy it will be! Plan a virtual shopping excursion for camping gear using theWeb page "REI: Camping" athttp://www.rei.com/shopping/store3/CAMPING/camp.html to make a list of whatyou need. Or if you have another favorite camping store, it may be listed at"GORP: Gear and Travel Accessories" athttp://www.gorp.com/gorp/gear/main.htm.

• Use your list from the previous activity to look for the items you need.• When selecting your gear, think in terms of how much it will cost as well as

how heavy the item is. If you choose an item for its weight factor insteadof cost, be prepared to defend your decision.

• Create a table or use spreadsheet software to list: - Item - Cost - Quantity - Weight - Total cost and weight

• Compare with other groups to see who can travel the lightest andcheapest!

Activity #5: Dangers in the woods - forest fires

Is it true that "only you can prevent forest fires?" Often humans are the cause ofwilderness fires due to carelessness from smoking or camp fires. Sometimes,though, nature does it to herself. Several factors from the ecosystem increasethe chances of wildfires. Visit the Web page "The Why Files: Woods Ablaze" athttp://whyfiles.news.wisc.edu/018forest_fire/index.html to learn more.

• Start at the section about "Yellowstone National Park." What did scientistslearn about this wildfire?

• What differences has the role in fire played throughout the years in theUnited States and other parts of the world? Who is right, if anyone?Why? What benefits occurred in Yellowstone due to the fire?

• View the section on "Computer Models." How can we use computers tohelp us understand wildfire occurrences better?

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• Using the Web page "Wildland Fire Assessment System" athttp://www.fs.fed.us/land/wfas/welcome.html, learn how scientists monitorthe chances of a fire. What factors do they observe?

• Of course, before you go hiking, you will want to know the outlook for fires.How kind is mother nature going to be while you are hiking? Check theforest fire conditions throughout the United States by using the Web page"Forest Fire Conditions in the U.S." athttp://www.vita.org/disaster/firefrst.html.

• Interpret the data in the different maps for observed versus forecastedforest fires. Note the different danger classifications. Pay particularattention to the areas near the Appalachian and Bartram Trails. How closeare the predictions to actual fires?

• What are the chances of fire in the areas around the Appalachian Trail andBartram Trail?

• Finally take a look at the history behind one of the "greatest publicitycampaigns ever" at "Smokey Bear's Home Page" athttp://www.odf.state.or.us/smokey/smokey.htm. Create a timeline outliningthe history for the Smokey Bear campaign.

• Design an activity or educational section which would complement"Smokey Bear's Official Home Page" at http://www.smokeybear.com/.Keep in mind that the page is meant for children ages 6-10.

Activity #6: Fret the little stuff

When people think of dangers in the wild, many think only of the large animals.One animal that many people forget about is a small one that packs a meanpunch - the tick. It is responsible for many unexplained ailments which uponcloser examination can be explained by this small creature! Visit the followingWeb pages for more information:

ü "Lyme Disease" at http://www.ziplink.net/~jcwheel/lyme.htmlü "Lyme Disease Information Resource" at

http://www.sky.net/~dporter/lyme1.html ü "CDC: Lyme Disease" at

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/lyme/lyme.htmü "Lyme Disease - An Overview" at

http://www.lehigh.edu/lists/lymenet-l/overview.htmThen answer these questions:

• What is lyme disease?• How is it transmitted?• What are the symptoms?• Why is it called the "Great Imitator"?• Where are ticks found and how can you protect yourself from them?• Are your pets safe from ticks and lyme disease?

Another danger many people encounter are the "leaves of three" - poison oak,sumac and ivy! Learn what to avoid as you hike by visiting the Web sites:

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ü "Poison Ivy, Western Poison Oak, and Poisonous Sumac" at http://res.agr.ca/brd/poisivy/title.html

ü "Obnoxious Plants - Poison Ivy and Nettles" at http://www.ncnatural.com/wildflwr/obnxious.html

Then answer the following questions:

• How do you get poison ivy and how does it spread? Does everyoneagree?

• What do the three poisonous plants look like?• Can you get poison ivy from your dog?• How can you tell that you have poison ivy?• What should you do if you know that you are in a poisonous plant?• Why doesn't everyone react the same way when they get poison ivy?• Design a brochure outlining the possible dangers and prevention methods

that you've learned about in this activity.

Activity #7: Finding your way

Think how far we have come - from navigating using the stars, using sextantsand compasses, to finding one's way on a published trail map. Since most trailsare well-marked with blazes, you don't really need to rely on the map to seewhere you are going. But it can be fun to find your own way the old-fashionedway - by using a compass! To discover how to use this helpful instrument, graba compass and go to the following Web sites:

ü "Finding your Way with Map and Compass" at http://info.er.usgs.gov/fact-sheets/finding-your-way/finding-your-way.html

ü "How to Use a Compass" at http://www.uio.no/~kjetikj/compass/ Then aswer these questions:

• In what direction does a compass point?• What things can affect the accuracy of a compass reading?• What components make up a compass?• How can you go northeast when the compass is always pointing in the

same direction?A sport that relies heavily on compass readings and special maps is orienteering.To learn more about it, go to the web site "Orienteering" athttp://www.williams.edu:803/Biology/orienteering/o~index.html.

• What is orienteering?• What makes orienteering maps different from other types of maps?• Make a treasure map around your school building with compass readings

and paces to tell others how to find a hidden treasure. Try your hand atusing symbols that are used in orienteering.

• Swap maps and try to locate another group's treasure.

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